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Success Matters - Jordan Showalter

Jordan Showalter, a 2017 engineering technology graduate originally from Chalmette,
Louisiana, works at a place with real consequence.

As an operations maintenance supervisor for Syncom Space Services, a contractor at
NASA Michoud, Jordan has utilized the discipline and knowledge that he acquired at
Southeastern to fast-track his career—landing him the type of job he had dreamed of.
Only a year and a half out of college, Jordan has already been promoted once at Syncom.

In addition to scheduling maintenance, monitoring systems, and running metrics to
increase productivity, he supervises a group of highly skilled personnel who do preventative
maintenance work across the facility as well as maintain major systems that actually
work on the spacecraft’s tank. “It’s a lot to take on,” he admits, “but I’ve found
a routine to make it work.”

Jordan dreamed of one day being able to work with rockets, which is now his favorite
part of the job. “I’ve always wanted to work as part of NASA. And now I’m doing something
that actually impacts the build of the rocket,” he says.

Jordan recognizes the significance of the work that he performs. “I care about the
little stuff, because it will make a difference in the bigger picture. For example,
a simple light fixture could be in a critical area. If someone picks up and uses a
wrong chemical on the tank because there’s dull lighting in the area, now they’ve
just scrapped a couple million dollar tank. I take that to heart.”

During his time at Southeastern, Jordan kept quite busy with both classwork and extracurricular activities,
and very much enjoyed the routine it provided him. He was on the Lions football team
as a fullback throughout college; in Kappa Sigma fraternity, in which he served as
the organization’s events coordinator; worked at Our Mom’s as a security manager before
being promoted to bar manager; completed an internship; was a part of the ExCEL scholarship
and leadership program; and was a member of Tau Alpha Pi engineering honors society,
the National Honors Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the American Association of
Drilling Engineers.